Calling all Experts... Decode this one.

[bobs]

I dont think this is male pattern baldness. I think it is Telogen Effluvium.

Bad news is that Telogen Effluvium can trigger early male pattern baldness for people with the genetics, people who have no male pattern baldness-genes recover.
Good news is that IF it is Telogen Effluvium + early male pattern baldness you could get on Propecia and then go to the bottom with whatever is causing the Telogen Effluvium and you should be fine.

Here is what I think you should do, like ADL said, go to a doctor and dont take the "You are not balding" or "it is only male pattern baldness" for an answer. Get on the case and demand some tests and if they don't seem to know what they are doing get hold of a better one, look around your area.

Most doctors don't take baldness too seriously or they don't know enough about it and most doctors don't like to act like they don't know so they'll just throw out the most possible verdict. "You loosin your hair? Well its male pattern baldness" or "its just stress, don't stress and it will go over".

Tell them that you think it is Telogen Effluvium, read about Telogen Effluvium to check what they know about it, and see what the symptoms and causes may be. Demand tests to prove or disprove them.

Best of luck man

 

[youngbaldie]

Needhelp, I have had similar loss as yours since I was 19. I am now 24. I also had extreme scalp itch, all over the head, including on the neck, ears, and forehead.

I would get on Finasteride, T-Gel, and Nizoral. I would be careful with Rogaine right now because I think alcohol in that can make inflammation worse, of course, I don't want to sabotage your chances of growing back hair, so do what you think is best.

These treatments take a long while, sometimes over 1 year to see any slowing of loss or reduction in itch. With the shampoos, make sure you leave them on for a good 10 minutes, and its better to keep your hair short so it all abosrbs. Use these treatments religiously.

And if finasteride doesn't work, there is always dutasteride, which some people have had excellent success with, but it can take over a year for the results to become evident.

Good luck to you, I know this kind of hair loss pattern personally, and it is very stressing.

And of course, if you think it may not be male pattern baldness, you should keep investigating. Personally, I tend to think Jayman is right on this one, but you should keep exploring all possibilities just to be on the safe side.

Again, best of luck.

 

[holly]

You can get a punch scalp biopsy to determine whether that is diffuse areata. Have it read by a dermopathologist. You may also try checking out keratin.com. Kevin McElwee, who runs the site has a lot of info on diffuse AA, and is AA reseacher. He used to answer questions on his forums, but I don't know if he does that anymore.

 

[Guest]

There is absolutely no sign that this is male pattern baldness. His hair is equally thin all over his head including sides and back. It's not the MALE PATTERN.

It is clearly diffuse alopecia and the underlying cause has to be thoroughly investigated. Don't take "no" for an answer from your doctor.

Are you shitting me?

I have diffuse patterned alopecia. Diffuse is a form of ANDROGENETIC ALOPECIA. Not all androgenetic alopecia patients present in the typical frontal recession meets crown thinning pattern. I was diffusing over the frontal third of my head, but my sides and back and crown were still normal thickness. It doesn't mean that I have something wrong with me.

Even people who thin out all over their heads, diffuse unpatterned alopecia, for most cases it's still just another form of ANDROGENETIC ALOPECIA. That's what you should call it so you don't get confused again and think that everyone who has diffuse hair loss needs to undergo a biopsy. I recommended that this guy get it checked out because he is thinning out all over his head, but I'm still pretty sure the Doctor will say it's Androgenetic Alopecia.

 

[NeedHelp]

Jayman,

How would you explain the exclamation hair (where it is thinner at the bottom and thicker at the top)? I mean Androgenetic Alopecia does not thin over night its a process that takes several hair cycles, right? I am not trying to argue just want to see how that is possible.

 

[Guest]

hi needhelp

no it does not need to take several cycles to thin. some people see noticeable thinning after only a couple hair cycles-rapid onset of baldness.

 

[NeedHelp]

Ok btw I just noticed that something is up with my mustache as well. I suppose this is not a normal effect of male pattern baldness? Its three bald spots in my mustache that i never had before until recently. Here is a pic: